It must be Scotch, or at least, is composed of Scottish materials--the Shorter Catechism and the bagpipes.

A piper was plying his trade in the streets, and a strict elder of the kirk, desirous to remind him that it was a somewhat idle and profitless occupation, went up to him and proposed solemnly the first question of the Shorter Catechism, "What is the chief end of man ?" The good piper, thinking only of his own business, and supposing that the question had reference to some pipe melody, innocently answered, "Na, I dinna ken the tune, but if ye'll whistle it I'll try and play it for ye." I have said before, and I would repeat the remark again and again, that the object of this work is _not_ to string together mere funny stories, or to collect amusing anecdotes.

We have seen such collections, in which many of the anecdotes are mere Joe Millers translated into Scotch.

The purport of these pages has been throughout to illustrate Scottish life and character, by bringing forward those modes and forms of expression by which alone our national peculiarities can be familiarly illustrated and explained.

Besides Scottish replies and expressions which are most characteristic--and in fact unique for dry humour, for quaint and exquisite wit--I have often referred to a consideration of dialect and proverbs.